


Chrysanthemum

by Chiantato



Series: Ghost!Hilkiah AU [1]
Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: -Ish, Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Gen, Hilkiah Uzai being Hilkiah Uzai, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Manipulation, Mentioned Arthur Auguste Angel, Mentioned Jeremiah Uzai, Yes I Am Making This A Tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-18 07:06:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29114235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chiantato/pseuds/Chiantato
Summary: Hilkiah Uzai passed away peacefully on his 64th birthday.For a moment, at least.For just as his consciousness had finally left him, he was abruptly ripped back to reality. With the sun glaring directly onto his face, he had half a mind to tell off whatever servant must have decided to open the drapes without his permission, but his grumble was cut short as he steadily became more aware of his surroundings.Of the soft grass gently caressing his face, moved by a gentle breeze that carried alongside it not only the sounds of birds and insects, but also the scent of-“Shiemi, please be careful!”- the Artemis.
Relationships: Hilkiah Uzai & Moriyama Shiemi's Grandmother
Series: Ghost!Hilkiah AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2136162
Kudos: 1





	Chrysanthemum

**Author's Note:**

> who knew that stumbling across the beginning of this on my tumblr blog would lead to this 3k monster ... i certainly did not and yet here we are lmao 
> 
> fair warning that most of this is based on my own headcanons regarding the uzai family dynamics and agency rites. if you'd like to get to know more about them just visit the accounts listed in the end notes.
> 
> i hope you enjoy your read :)

Hilkiah Uzai passed away peacefully on his 64th birthday.

Later on, he’ll admit that it came as quite a surprise to him - not the dying part, mind you, but for years he had lived with the belief that he'd die a violent, slow or excruciating death at the hands of his favourite nephew. Jeremiah had always had such a strange fascination with those poisonous plants growing in the deepest, darkest corners of the garden - so he'd expected something along those lines, or even a deadly visit in the middle of the night, and yet neither had happened as far as he was aware.

Who knew, perhaps the boy had finally realised that Hilkiah had only ever wanted the best for him? Or he's too occupied with that clone to pay any attention to his ailing uncle - it certainly didn’t matter now, he thought as he finally succumbed to the deep exhaustion that had settled into his bones nearly a decade ago. Whatever the reason, he was grateful for it, for even though he did have it coming, passing away peacefully in his sleep not only sounded a thousand times better - it actually was.

For a moment, at least.

For just as his consciousness had finally left him, he was abruptly ripped back to reality. With the sun glaring directly onto his face, he had half a mind to tell off whatever servant must have decided to open the drapes without his permission, but his grumble was cut short as he steadily became more aware of his surroundings.

Of the soft grass gently caressing his face, moved by a gentle breeze that carried alongside it not only the sounds of birds and insects, but also the scent of-

“Shiemi, please be careful!”

\- the Artemis.

He slowly blinked his eyes open and squinted up at the bright, clear sky. The sickly sweet smell had grown more intense than before and just a slight turn of his head brought the rare rose into view - with those cream coloured petals shimmering admits the light of the sun and the air around it practically throbbing with pure, unadulterated magic, she truly was a sight to behold.

“Yes, grandmother!”

Raising his body off the ground was far more difficult than he imagined it to be, and while the thought of simply giving up and lying back down was indeed very tempting, his curiosity in regards to his whereabouts won him over in the end. Thankfully, nobody seemed to be near to witness his struggle into a position he deemed dignified enough for the moment, leaning against the small but firm stone wall behind him.

The sound of approaching steps and a child’s merry laughter urged him to lift his weary head and - no.

Impossible.

This should be _impossible_.

And yet no matter how often he repeated those very words in his mind, the scene before him did not change, for better or worse. The little child was still laughing, following the stone paths across the garden to a destination unknown to him with quick steps and an air of childish innocence that he had not been a witness to in years, ever since Ilya and Jeremiah had- 

A shake of his head not only dispelled any and all thoughts of  _ that  _ particular matter but it also brought another person into view and, he thought with a sense of apprehension blooming deep inside his chest, either the devil had taken ahold of his soul and personally dragged him to the deepest pits of hell, or his old age had ultimately caught up to his mind.

“Shiemi ….” a hoarse whisper is all it took for that emerald gaze to fall on him, to take in his slumped form and dishevelled appearance and to widen in recognition, shock and an emotion he could not quite place, for labeling it only as ‘fear’ did not seem quite right; and yet he couldn’t imagine her to feel anything else but genuine terror at his presence here.

Which did sting, somewhat, considering the years they had spent at each other's side before she had decided to give up everything - her power, her position, El - to live out the rest of her life in Japan, forgoing any and all consequences or rites. Almost 30 years of protection, trust and companionship and yet it was as if, once again, they were strangers to one another.

“Hilkiah.” Her first words to him in a little bit over 5 years were nothing more than his name, spoken in a barely audible murmur, and yet it did not fail to bring a smile to his face, small but genuine. It was a silent offer of peace, his sincerity a rare gift, and it appeared that she still knew him well enough to discern the meaning behind it - and take it for what it was.

“Grandmother?”

The child’s voice seemed to break through whatever haze Shiemi had been in, and before Hilkiah could even move his head into the child’s direction, she stepped in front of him to either shield him from her grandchild’s view or the other way around - maybe even both. The action was pointless as the child could not see him the way she could, of that he was sure, though he did not tell her so just yet. Let her believe she could still protect her family from their influence; this wasn’t a bubble he wished to burst right now.

“Shiemi,” even though Hilkiah was not able to see her face right now, the sweet smile she gave her daughter’s future successor was audible in the very way she spoke, “why don’t you start watering the flowers alone today? I forgot something important inside.”

He took her words as his cue to finally rise from his sitting position with a badly concealed curse at the protest of his own darned body. It seemed not even death - for that must be the only explanation for all _this_ \- would give him a break. Whoever had once said that he would be able to rest in peace after having fulfilled his duty to Shemihaza and God would get a piece of his mind, should he ever get to meet them.

For now, though, he followed Shiemi into a rather large shed at the end of the stone path and tried not to let too much of his distaste show as he realised that this was her living space, although he could not quite contain the scoff that passed his lips

“Is there something you wish to say, Director?” At the sight of the unimpressed arch of her brow he only gave his signature smile and let his gaze visibly roam around the room, waiting until they were seated to answer her question: “I’d love to discuss a great number things now that I have you in front of me again, Sacred Sage, but I do not think you’d appreciate these current thoughts of mine.”

“When have I ever.” She told him and poured them both tea. “When you were not feeding me lies, you were busy trying to distract me from my duties to further your plans.”

The sincerity of her words was shocking, indeed. Years before she would have never uttered such thoughts aloud, much less in his presence. He wondered how else their time apart had changed her.

“Not always successfully, I fear.” His hands did not shake as he took the offered cup, a fact he is thankful for. Age and the repercussions of his powers had left their marks on him long ago, but whatever this may be seemed to have freed him of some of them, at least. A small sip of the steaming liquid revealed that he could still drink, and yet not taste anything; how interesting.“Though the number of times I did not lie to you might be greater than you expect.”

A snort is the only answer she deigned to give him for the moment and he let her - patience is a virtue, after all, and time a mere concept now that he is dead.

He was halfway through his cup and close to requesting a refill when she spoke again: “Be it truth or lie, you always made them sound the same. A talent I imagine you to have passed down to our new Director.”

The statement - both of them, truly - drew a chuckle out of him. 

“I have taught him the basics, certainly, what he does with them is out of my control.” The cup was set down in favor of reaching across the table to grasp her hand. The action was a daring one, but she did not pull away immediately so he’ll count it as a win.“Though there is no reason to worry for your daughter. Jeremiah carries no malice for her in his heart.”

“And  _ her  _ daughter?” She turned her hand in his grip to grasp his wrist and squeezed, once, as if the fire in her eyes were not enough to express her anger; as if she needed for him to feel her pain to get her message across. 

The implication of her words had him close his eyes in exasperation. Trust her to bring up mistakes of the past and make them out to be worse than they actually ever were. “What had happened back then had been a tragic accident, Shiemi, you know that. He is as loyal to your lineage as I have always been.”

“Loyal?” He imagined that only decades of strict etiquette keep her from slamming the tea cup onto the table. “You call murdering my people and scheming against my family ‘loyal’?”

Oh my. 

Hilkiah had made a vow a long time ago to never regret his actions - as insignificant or as gruesome as they may be - and so far he had never broken this promise made to himself. The revelation that Shiemi somehow knew about _that_ particular incident just after the Blue  Night was, indeed, shocking, but it would not make him seek her forgiveness; especially because of a simple, but rather obvious fact.

“Did I ever harm you, though? Did I ever harm our daughter? No action of mine had ever been careless enough to bring you such pain. Or have you convinced yourself otherwise?” He questioned her, confident in his knowledge of what her answer will be.

“I have not.” She answered, just as expected, and he hid his smile behind the cup as he raised it to his lips once more. 

“But ..” This time she did not look at him as she started to speak in a quiet voice, tired gaze focused on the closed doors that lead to her little garden and, he noted with a sigh, the young child. “Shiemi is still young, Hilkiah, and weak. She has no power to defend herself, no courage to even take a step outside of this garden. Her heart is soft, her spirit innocent, she has never had to carry the weight of responsibility on her shoulders. If Jeremiah were to act now …”

He cannot convince her that Jeremiah will be no threat to their safety, can he? No matter what he told her, she would ignore his words in favour of her own false opinion. 

Which is why instead of telling her that she is in the wrong, he said: “She has you, does she not?” Because this, at least, she had to accept as a truth. Besides his family, she had been the strongest living being in El. Even amongst the Grigori she had excelled and even if her powers had diminished over time, her amount of experience would make it a hard fight for anyone. Unless … “Or have the years in this little backyard robbed you of your spirit, Sacred Sage?”

She shook her head and closed her eyes with a sigh. “I think you underestimate the ferocity of the weapon you have crafted, Hikiah. Especially now that it’s master has died and left it behind, unattended.” 

Considering her attention still diverted from him, he took the opportunity to roll his eyes. Of course she thought to know his nephew better than he, the uncle that had raised him since he was naught but a child, did. Underestimate Jeremiah? Never. He was certain he knew the boy’s capabilities better than Jeremiah himself did; just as he also knew his limits, his weaknesses, as few as there may be nowadays. God knows the time he had spent on reducing them to a select few. Speaking of those-

“Unattended, he is not. The clone you chose to sacrifice for the sake of your grandchild is still at his side.” 

He is surprised that her neck does not break at the speed she turned her head to face him once more, eyes wide in shock. Did she truly think he would not figure out why she had given that clone to them, a mere day after her grandchild’s birth, instead of a better suited family? 

He had found her idea ridiculous at first - was insulted, even, that she would think it could satisfy his greed enough to divert his attention from her family. Until he had realised that the toy hadn’t been meant for him, but for his young, inexperienced nephew.

“His name is Arthur, by the way. Arthur Auguste Angel. I thought it a fitting name, for such a special child.”

Alongside his fabricated backstory, Hilkiah thought his name fit right in. A lie it may be, but he had been careful to keep it just close enough to the truth that nobody would have a problem lying to the boy. He had been coming along just nicely when he had seen him last, a masterpiece in progress, and he was sure that under Jeremiah’s careful attention Arthur would positively flourish.

Shiemi seemed to think otherwise, though. 

“I am unaware if anybody has ever told you this but your humor is revolting.” She said flatly and he shrugged with a smirk directed at her. She just had to mention that didn’t she.

“You had, once, actually.” He told her and immediately continued on lest she interrupt him: “I think it had been on the day of our coupling when had you looked into my eyes after everything was said and done and -”

“Enough.” 

“No no, I think it was something more along the lines of-”

“Hilkiah Uzai,” this time the tea cup did get slammed onto the table and  _ who knew that invoking her anger would still be so much fun? _ , “for the love of God, be quiet.”

As much as it delighted him to see her so full of life, he forced himself to stop pushing her buttons. For now, at least. So he patiently awaited her next words in the requested silence and watched as she slowly put her mask back together, piece by piece, until she was the Sacred Sage once more - cool headed and in control.

“Do you know anything about,” she finally asked and used her free hand to make a wide gesture around the room, “ _ this _ ? Because as far as I am aware you have died. And yet …”

“And yet I am here.” He finished her sentence. “I regret to tell you, though, that I know just as much as you do about this matter. One moment I was falling asleep in my rooms in El and the next I woke up here at your feet.”

It was silent once more as they both thought about the  _ how _ ’s and  _ why _ ’s of their current situation, revising everything they had ever been taught, everything they had ever seen, and yet he could tell by the growing tension in her shoulders that she had come up just as empty handed as he did. They still had time to figure it out, though, so he wasn’t concerned about the lack of explanations in the slightest. 

Shiemi was different, brows drawn together in frustration at her inability to find something, anything, plausible, which is why he tried to to soothe her in the best way he knew: “She cannot see me.” At her confused glance he elaborated: “Shiemi, I mean. She ran by me as if I did not exist. I imagine I would not be able to touch her either.”

Her whole body seemed to relax a little, as expected, and even a bit of humour found its way back into her voice: “Then … what, are you the punishment for my failings? Am I cursed to endure your infuriating presence here for the rest of my life?”

“Perhaps.” His chuckle brought a small smile to her face as well and for a moment it was as if they were both back in the old days. “But think about it like this, Shiemi, would you rather be alone here, dreading every day as if it were your and your granddaughter’s last, or have me, who knows  _ him  _ better than anybody else on this world, by your side?”

They both knew the answer to his question.

“Your powers,” she said instead, “can you still use them to their full extent?” 

“I have not tried yet, but …” 

A knock on the door to the shed interrupted their little talk, followed by the child’s voice inquiring after the well-being of her grandmother. It seemed that either little Shiemi had finished the task given to her very quickly or their conversation had lasted longer than both had assumed. 

“I am alright, Shiemi.” The older Shiemi called back and emptied her cup in one swig just before she met his gaze, mind made up and determined to hold him to his words. “You  _ will  _ protect Shiemi, no matter the cost, Hilkiah. And in exchange I will not call for the aid of True Cross to exorcise you.”

She stood with an air of finality, proud and resolute in her decision being the right one, and although she did not physically extend her hand to him, he knew it was offered nonetheless.

“It seems we have a deal, Shiemi.”

And he took it with a smile.

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: chiantato  
> twitter: uzaiism


End file.
